Rome
Hotel de Londres
Via San Sebastianello
Saturday Feby 20th 1864
My dear Henry
I have been long intending to write to you, but have really never been able to find time yet – for it slips away so quickly in this delightful séjour – too quickly alas! I am glad Rosamond <1> was interested by my Civa Vecchia letter; which I learn from a nice long one received from Amandier, <2> dated the 9th & received here the 16th very fair considering the immense time some letters are on the road – & while on the subject of letters, I must tell you that Amandier’s was one of the very few we have had, which was properly stamped. It is well to know that letters may be sent free to & from England – in which case the receiver pays – (but not double as in England –) but if the sender puts on an insufficient number of stamps, the receiver is compelled to pay the whole; & the previous postage goes for nothing. To Italy in general the postage is 6d which is the reason so many of our friends have put on that sum; but to the Roman states it is about double – i.e. 11d or 1s/- from England, & 22 Bajocchi from Rome.
When we first arrived, we put up at a dismal apartment in the Hotel de Minerve, in the Piazza di Minerva – Do you remember it? There is in the centre an Elephant with a small Egyptian obelisk on it’s [sic] back. It was the only one to be had then – but we afterwds removed to this – which is very comfortable, with excellent cuisine & attendance – &, for Rome, not dear – but then we have no Sun, a great draw back – However we have got used to it now – & there is a large garden at the back very pleasant & open; with orangetrees & tall, fat cypresses – & we look up the slopes beyond, towds Monte Pincio, from which we enjoy a beautiful reflected light. This house used to be called Maison Serny, & makes one side of the Piazza di Spagna, just under the Trinità de’ Monti.
We have managed to see a good many things, without hurrying ourselves – but really the weather has been too bad to enjoy Rome properly. It has been dreadfully cold – the snow laid [sic] on the ground one morning & we had several hard frosts, injuring the orangetrees I shd think – & then after 3 or 4 beautiful sunny days, just as we thought the Roman Spring was beginning, the cold & rain have returned again – no frost – but wretchedly raw & uncomfortable. Sunday the 14th, Monday & Tuesday were beautiful – but since, cold & dark. I wonder how it is now at Edinburgh? At Cannes the fine weather went on much longer – but latterly it has been very cold even there; & at Mentone & Monaco snow has fallen; also at Malta.
Ernestine <3> has got a nice little horse, & has taken several rides in the Campagna, with Ly Kath. Parker (Ld Morley’s daughter), <4> & some other people – which she enjoys excessively. One day they went as far as Nero’s tomb on the Florence road.
In the Nuovo Braccio of the Vatican there are two very fine new Statues – one represents Augustus <5> in his military dress, holding a sceptre – the work on the cuirass, of small figures in relief, is quite first rate (as the Americans say,) & the tunic seems to have been coloured red. It is greatly admired by Artists, & was found in the Villa of Livia, at a place called Prima Porta – 6 miles off on the right hand, immediately after crossing Ponte Molle – There are most interesting excavations going on there, only begun abt two years ago – which we hope to see when the weather is finer –, & quantities of remains of paintings, stucco &c &c turn up every day.
The other statue is still finer to my taste – & was found a few years ago in the Piazza di Sa Maria in Trastevere. It is quite perfect, the head having never even been broken off – of the finest Greek art, & represents an Athlete after the games, scraping his arm, with a scraper exactly like those used now by grooms for cleaning horses. It does not sound elegant, – but it is wonderfully beautiful.
Of course I visited all my old favourites with the greatest delight – & the Apollo seemed to me much finer than formerly, & infinitely more so than any copy or cast even. Pio Nono <6> is very busy, doing a great deal in the way of restoring & embellishing Churches, & has made, in Sa M. Maggiore, what they call a Confessione, like that at St Peter’s – A round place going down, with an altar below, in front of which he means to have his own monument placed – a kneeling figure – like Pius VIth’s by Canova. <7> In excavating the ground to make this Confessione, they came upon the pavement of the ancient Basilica, several feet below the present church – & the lower part of the columns each side of the Nave – which go down thro’ the present pavement – & that is very ancient. The custode gave us some of the bits of porphyry & serpentino of which it was made. Also at S. Clemente, which was supposed to be the oldest Church nearly at Rome, & known to have been restored or re-built in the 8th Century, they have discovered the original Church underneath, S. Clemente belongs to the Irish Dominicans, & in making some repairs, they found the underground Church, with old frescoes & inscriptions, & some beautiful antique marble columns.
The Carnival was dull, & very unlike old times – the Romans did not attend, & there were no carriages in the Corso – except about half a dozen or so, manned by Englishmen throwing confetti – However it amused us; & we went every day to a balcony, to see the horses race – always a pretty sight. There are 19,000 French in garrison here – besides Ca Vecchia & other outlying places. – & literally, every other man in the Street is a french soldier. They seem very quiet & goodhumoured – but of course the Romans do not like to see them. There is a small Corps of Papal Zouaves, made out of the remains of the Irish & Belgian brigade – who wear a very pretty gray [sic] & red uniform. There are a good many people here we know – We went to a Ball at the Duchesse Salviati’s & a reception at Pss Rospigliosi’s <8> – Both these ladies are french [sic] –, the former very cross-looking & repelling – the latter, who was a daughter of the Duc de Cadore <9>, particularly pleasing & civil. The crocuses are coming up in the Campagna, & the Anemone Hortensis in the Villa Pamfili Doria. – I was introduced, at a party, to Monsignore Talbot, a fattish, stupid looking man, & Mgre Manning – extremely tall & thin – with a fine head & clever countenance – but one which one wd feel inclined to be on one’s guard against. Are you not perfectly furious with Austria & Prussia! The blood of all those poor soldiers & officers, killed in oppressing poor little Denmark, will cry out against their Governmts for refusing to grant the time demanded by the King – & I think the extinguishing the lights in the Lighthouses, is the most nefarious act I ever hear of – & worthy of the most barbarous times of warfare.
Give my love to all, & thank Amandier for her letter –
Yr affte Sister
Caroline
Notes:
1. Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter.
2. Amélina Petit De Billier, ‘Mamie’, ‘Amandier’ (1798–1876), governess and later close friend of the Talbot family [See Amélina's journal].
3. Ernestine Emma Horatia Edgcumbe (1843-1925), WHFT’s niece.
4. Lady Emily Katherine Parker, daughter of Edmund Parker, 2nd Earl of Morley (1810–1864).
5. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus (63BC–14AD), Emperor Augustus (27BC–14AD).
6. Giovanni Maria Mastai–Ferretti (1792–1878), Pope Pius IX from 1846 to 1878.
7. Giovanni Angelico Braschi (1717–1799), Pope Pius VI from 1775 to 1799. Antonio Canova (1757–1822), Italian neoclassical sculptor.
8. Françoise de Nompère de Champagny (1825–1899), wife of Prince Rospigliosi.
9. Jean-Baptiste de Nompère de Champagny (1756–1834).